First I thought that was a block especially with the way they had been calling things up to that point.
Second, IF that was a block, Notae is still in the game and he was just getting heated up, and as streaky as he can be it could have been a big lift for us as he tends to knock down a few 3pt shots when he’s on a heater.
Third, it would have been the 4th foul on Mitchell and that would have changed SO SO much for Baylor.
I think that call was a major turning point for the game. One way I think the Hawgs have a real legit chance to make the comeback and finish. The other way its almost a dagger in our heart.
As normal, I always wonder, was that a charge so they don’t call the 4th foul on the player that makes Baylor the best it can be. I don’t think the refs ever think like that, but I just can’t help letting thoughts like that creep in because I wear a big big set of Razorback Sunglasses.
Refs were awful. Once again, the no calls rule the day as they usually do. In this case bad calls were rampant as well. The often parroted fantasy …’It all evens out’ is just la la land stuff, always has been. Sounds good but it’s a joke. It’s a false slogan, nothing more.
All three points are very valid and they definitely changed what both teams could do from then on. Notae was the only one quick enough to penetrate and/or shoot from the outside (other than Davis who is not a great outside shooter). He has that swagger about him that is not afraid of anyone. He is also very good defensively against their quicker guards. If Baylor had lost Mitchell we would have had a legitimate chance to win, but with him Baylor was just too quick. Mitchell kept them in the game with his unbelievable quickness and penetration and then we had to help so much that it opened up his passes to the 3 pt. shooters.
They started off so fast that we dug too deep a whole to get out of.
The other turning point in the game was when we got it down to 64-60 and Desi got a wide open look and it didn’t fall. That would have cut the lead to just one point and maybe would have gotten us over the hump. Please don’t think that I am blaming Desi (at all) because he played his guts out both on defense and on the boards.
And, has been mentioned in various comments on this board, the other factor was the play of Moody. I think he just started pressing in this tournament and was never able to get going. And when he isn’t scoring his defensive play also suffered. Moody is a great player and had a great year, but his play in the tournament showed his lack of ability to create against better defensive players. Many accused Mason Jones of not being athletic enough, but he could create against the quickest defensive players and would always carry us when nobody else could.
And one last point is that Butler is a very good player, but he can only penetrate to his right, and when we finally figured that out we pretty much took his penetration out of the game. Mitchell was the difference maker!
A very good summary of what affected the outcome of the game. Except I do think it was tired legs with Moody. With tired legs, it is just hard to make your body do things you need to do to create a shot.
If you thought there was any consistency with their calling you watched a different game. We got a lot of calls we should not have IMO, so did they. Hate the ref debate. JD has to play different with 4 fouls. Cant leave it up to the refs. Especially on what is usually a 50/50 call.
pj I respect your opinion and will always listen to your comments. You may be right about tired legs, but why were the rest of the players able to play through the same tired legs. I think that when the negativity of playing so poorly offensively creeps in it tends to get you down and then maybe the mind allows you to remember your tired legs more. All players are a little tired late in the season, but the toughness in the mind can get you through it.
That was some game with both teams just going as hard as they could. Arkansas is some team…how they summon the energy to play as hard as they do with 6-7 guys is just amazing. Coach Mussleman is the type of coach who can win a National Championship…he just needs a little more size and depth. We were a little short on the bench this year and a little small inside, but he made a heckuva team out of the parts.
They may not have been as tired. I have no way of knowing that. People who study it more intensely than I might be able to opine, but perhaps he’d been pushing too hard in practice or in games. Perhaps more minutes. Perhaps just not as strong & thus more susceptible to fatigue. Just speculating, but PJ might have a point.
I think as another poster pointed out in a different thread, Smith has three more years of physical maturity on Moody and so does Tate and Notae. I think other players were in and out of starting lineup and didn’t log as many minutes. Plus Swine mentioned Smith missed over two weeks due to surgery,
I use an example of most NBA rookies who hit the wall midway thru the season, but don’t do that in the following season.
I agree that the other team was better, but the officiating didn’t help. They allowed Baylor to put their hands all over us on defense and they were getting away with moving screens a lot on offense too. Yes they tend to swallow their whistles more in the NCAA tournament but there were a LOT of uncalled fouls and more of them were on Baylor imo, not to say we didn’t get away with a few too.
I have a family friend whose husband who refereed the tournament. He was in the bubble 3 weeks. Worked the sweet 16, not sure if he’s still there. Great guy, great family, tough job.